The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-29
SPOTS OF NATURES BEAUTY
Attractive Features Of the Shaded
Breathing-Places Of indianapolis.
Great Variety of Rare and Beautiful Trees
TO Be Found in University Park-COntem-
plated Improvements Of Military Park.

A dozen years or more ago Indianapolis was
much troubled about parks for the future
breathing places for the two or three hundred
thousand people who were at that time conf
IDENTIFY expected TO tabernacle in this city within
the succeeding ten twelve years. There was
great fear that there would be a soldly- built
city, with pleasure-grounds Of grass, green
leaves and birds, where the good citizen, with
his wife and little ones. the young bachelor
and his sweetheart. could. repair to commune
with nature and natures handiwork, apart from
bricks and mortar, and the dust, and heat, and
clatter Of business. Out of this clamor for
breathing spots came the purchase Of the South
ern Park, the only improvement in which since
It's purchase has been change OF name 10 Gar
field Park, while its fences have rotted or been
carried away and il has in sense been
''breathing spot" except for the vagrant kline
that find free grass there. Another strip on the
north, called, account Of its shape, "Shoe-
string Park was rendered to the city, but de-
clined, and is now known as Newman Oaks"
Indianapolis, however, is not without breath
ing spaces, and rs the years go by some of them
are growing beautiful This without or ut any
rate with little. expenditure Of money. Circle
Park, formerly known as the Governors Circle,
which should have been retained as the more
appropriate name and as an historic landmark. is
u
dusty business portion ot the city. With its
smooth and beautiful walks the great war Gov
eruors statue in the center, it has nearly all that
its size win accommodate in the way of sculpt-
ural or architectural art. North OF the lnstltu-
tion for the Blind and belonging to that institu-
ton is a piece of ground one block square
tanning nothing with the exception of its grass
and few trees, except the furnaces that heat
the institution and gaunt and Rrimy chimney.
The grounds Immediately about the Institution
for the Blind tended with great care and are
beautiful 1t has sufhciency of noble shade
trees, the grass is kept neatly trimmed and there
Is a wealth OF flowers artistically disposed about
the place. 1t seems strange that the square TO
the north of the institute should have been so
sadly neglected when it affords so fine an oppor-
tunity for the display Of arboreal and horicult-
ural art.
the United States Arsenal afford two beautiful
places for a drive or saunter. Woodruff Place,
which ia town corporation separate and dis
tinct from Indianapolis, is delightfully."- shaded
There long stretches of emerald lawn and
fountains Of cooling water. The driveways are
of wooden block pavement and scattered along
the drives at close intervals, pieces of statu-
arv, while at night the place is lighted by gas.
The City Hospital grounds have been some
what improved, but not nearly so much as they
might be few hundred dollars expended
upon them The superintendent Dr. }. H.
Oliver, hopes to do something more in this line
next year. Beautiful grounds about the hos
piLal, with the fresh and cooling summer air that
ZONES over the green grass and trees, would be
medicine to the bed-ridden patients. while the
grounds would be of great benefit to the con-
valescents who would be able to walk about
in them.
Schuyler Colfax has been placed is, though
ymall, n charming spot, and shows what nature.
with n small amount of intelligent human aid,
ean do in a few years in the way of adjoining
four acres that short time ago we're as barren
rs a public school play ground Indiana has
given to the country two Vice-presdents,
from each of the great parties, and both repre-
sentative Indianians. As the statue OF one is
already in position il would be we'll for those
having in charge the erection of the statue and
monument to Mr.. Hendricks to become i'm
pressed with the fitness of this beautiful park
Tor the memorial to Mr.. Cofax's contemporary.
University Park has perhaps a greater and bet
Der variety of trees in 1t than is contained in
any like number of acres in Indiana. Strolling
through the park the other day, botanist
kinds of trees and shrubs, and commented
IN the symmetrical order in which
hey were arranged. The abele, or, silver
eAf poplar lines the sidewalk the south and
sorth sides: the south it's trunks are not per-
pendicular but aslant, its long arms reaching
but toward tho churches on the opposite side of
Tho street. AT this season il fills the air with
It's pollen of cotton. The trees are all female.
he male never having been brought TO this
country, and the tree grows from slips. Rev.
Hyron Reeds admirers used to say the Uni
rersity Square poplars leaned southwark to get
The benefit of their pastors preachments. but the
members Of the other neiGhboring churches said
Il was to get the which rose some distance
beyond the First Church and shone impartially
1pon The just and the unjust. On the east and
vest sides Of the square lines of soft naples
alternating with graceful elms. which have just
rome into full leaf.
There are n number of American lindens or
Eastwood trees. This is botanical curiosity,
being the only forest tree that has an unequal
sided leaf, elephants ear leaf, like begona.
The Eastwood is used largely for making paper.
There are four varieties of pine in the park,
among which is the pinus sylvestris
means graceful or handsome tree.
Here il the ailanthus gandulosum, the most
palmlike tree we have 1t Is native OF China.
fh ia aoId Iyh
price all through the Mississippi valley. 1t is a
handsome, rapid growing tree. and were it not
Tor its disagreeable odor, would be great favor
lite. There are several specimens or the llrloden-
drou tulpifera, northern magnolia which will
be in blossom about the 18th of June. The flow
err is as large as a teacup and of beautiful cream
and orange color. IL is commonly called the
white or yellow poplar 1t is frequently found
fifty feet to the first limb and boards over four
feet in diameter cut from its trunk without
N knot in them. There a few sycamores,
''white-armed daughters of the forest 1t was
OF an aged and venerable sycamore that the poet,
George p Morris, wrote his wellknown lines,
.'Woodman, spare that tree" Its fuzzy ball of
fruit hangs all winter and come out
like a frowsy, tow-headed urchn in the spring
There are several balm o. eilead trees. This tree
Is a member of the poplar family Its buds are
covered with resin or varnish that serves TO
keep out the rain. This resin IS exceedingly
aromatic, and the buds macerated in alcohol
make popular domestic remedy. There are
several butternut trees, but they were not set
out until long after the war. over the park are
scattered n number of horsechestnut trees.
This tree originally came from the plains OF
Tartary. 1t has magnificent upright panicles OF
red and white flowers IL is said the nuts were
used in TartAry feed horses: hence the name.
Where the petioles have fallen from the stems
horseshoe. shaped mark is seen, even TO the
uail holes. 1t DO this circumstance had
something to do with the derivation of the name.
This tree is first cousin to the common buckeye.
The seeds Of which poisonous to cattle. There
are two kinds OF catalpa trees in this park
with straight trunk and large
flowers; the other with an irregular
trunk and small flowers. The wood is prActi-
ealy indestructioe in mud water, whore it
will neither decay, and is in high favor
FOR fence posts and railroad ties. Here also is
the minus gracils, very soft and flexible leafed
pine with it's peculiar aromatic resin, and the
Canada baIsam, with its leaves arranged on both
aides of the stem. There are three paper blrches
In the northeast corner. with their exquistely
formed leaf und branches floating like maiden